The Lugarno and District Progress Association was formed in 1922. Early Progress Association meetings were held in private homes, then in Cleveland's Hall, until the Progress Hall in Lime Kiln Road was built, on land donated by Mr. Wiltshire. One hundred pounds was raised, and a wooden building was built.
The Progress Association campaigned for the dirt roads to be improved by gravel being put on them. Mrs. Cleveland remembers "The main road was appalling, there were channels and holes everywhere, and anyone who was brave enough to drive a car any further than where Hillcrest Avenue is now, was running a risk of broken springs." Forest Road was not sealed until the Depression years, when this work was done as unemployment relief work.
The establishment of a Post Office and school were important issues taken up by the Progress Association and details are given in later chapters.
WATER
Water supply in the form of a 4 inch diameter main came in 1926, however great problems were still experienced, as Lugarno is higher than the Penshurst reservoirs, and water pressure was low. At the Lugarno Public School a tank was installed to store water from the mains supply, so that a constant water supply was assured. In 1956 an elevated steel covered reservoir was installed in Lugarno Parade which eased the problem. It had a capacity of 50,000 gallons, and the height above sea level of the top of the water was 316 feet, compared to 270 feet at Penshurst.
ELECTRICITY
Electricity came in 1927, supplied by the St. George County Council, which was formed on the 26th October, 1920. Sergeant T.V. Cross, as Mayor of Hurstville had played a part in establishing this first County Council in N.S.W., by joining Hurstville Municipality with Kogarah and Rockdale Municipalities. The official switching on ceremony was on the 9th March, 1923, however the rural areas had to wait for cables to be extended to these areas. Electricity poles were carried on bullock wagons, and erected throughout the St. George district.
Electricity was generated at the White Bay power station and supplied in bulk at 11,000 volts through Railway Department distribution lines to a substation at Peakhurst. The publication "St. George County Council Electricity Undertaking; Twelve Years of Progress 1920-1932" provides the following description of the system for the Peakhurst-Lugarno district:
"In the outlying rural districts of Lugarno and Peakhurst, an intermediate pressure of 2,300 volts has been introduced. This construction was carried out at a low cost by using shorter poles and comparatively long spans, and a cheap type of single pole substations." [p.75.]
SHOPS AND DELIVERIES
The nearest shopping centres were Penshurst and Mortdale, however as the road to Mortdale was not good, most people went through to the larger centre of Hurstville. The nearest doctors were Dr. Eli Webb of Mortdale and Dr. Ashby of Penshurst.
From 1912 groceries and bread were delivered by Packham's Bakery in Hurstville, Mumford's bakery delivered bread, and Jeffs delivered groceries from their shop at Carrington Avenue, Hurstville, and meat and ice were delivered by Mr. C. Trethewey from Kogarah. Ice was delivered three times a week to serve the ice chests used in the days before refrigerators became common. The ice was placed in the top compartment of an ice chest. Cold air drifted down to the lower compartment where perishables such as butter, milk and meat were kept. In the 1920's bread was delivered three times a week - on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday - it was much later that daily deliveries were introduced. Mr. Macauley came from Mortdale in his horse and trap with suits, cotton, needles and material. It was a great day when he was due.
Mrs. Cleveland ran a shop for a few years, but found it uneconomic, and then Mr. Fred Fildes, a returned soldier came to deliver once a week from Mortdale.
Later Madelaine Zoeller opened her shop, after she was discharged from the Air Force following World War II, in the building that was previously her fathers' petrol station. Supplies were short in the post war period, and rationing was in force. Miss Zoeller had to collect her supplies herself, as deliveries were restricted by petrol rationing. She ran the Post Office from this shop from 1949 to 1955
Another shop was run by Mr. MacCarthy on Forest Road, near the corner of Lime Kiln Road in the 1940's and 1950's.
BUS SERVICES
Mr. Mackin of the Menai area operated the earliest bus service through Lugarno in a horse bus drawn by four or seven horses, from Gerald Road, Menai to Mortdale and Hurstville, from about 1904.
Fred Bennett, who lived between where Park Street and Hannons Avenue are now, operated a service from Lugarno from about 1915. His horse bus had seats around the walls of the bus, so that the passengers faced each other. Bill Bennett and Mr. Smith ran the bus service for a short time, then Adolph Peters took over the service in 1923 with an International motor bus, M.O. 203. In 1924 there were five buses a day - at 6.00 a.m., 8.00 a.m., 12 noon, 4.00 p.m. and 6.00 p.m.
Harry Saint took over in 1927, using a 4 cylinder Dodge bus, and under pressure from the residents the frequency of the services improved to a regular half-hourly service. A diesel bus was introduced in 1938, and a double decker in 1953.
John Boatwright started the Henley Bus Company in about 1928, running buses from the Henley Pleasure Grounds to Punchbowl and Campsie railway stations, to bring fishermen to his property. The fare to Campsie was 4/-. The buses included a Chevrolet National and a Chevrolet Capital, a General Motors six wheeler (with a four wheel bogie), and later a Reo. The buses were nicknamed Boatie's Bouncing Butterboxes, and seated about 20 passengers. The Aborigines from the camp in Doctor's Bush, Peakhurst, would sit on the floor and entertain the passengers by playing gum leaves to earn their fare. Considerable expenditure was required to keep the buses running in good order, and Mr. Boatwright sold out to Mr. Feagan, the proprietor of the De Luxe service in the late 1930's. This service was built up to a half-hourly service to Riverwood station.
In 1989 the 108 route was sold to Deanes of Menai, who retained it for a few months, then sold it to the Punchbowl Bus Company.